Over the hills, under the moon - and off the beaten path

Where can you find this pastoral idyll just a mere twenty minute walk from the center of a capital city. Only in Edinburgh, I guess Inside the Holyrood park, just next to Old Town, I was amazed to stumble upon the ruin of an old chapel high up on a rocky ledge. A few more minutes of  further walk and I was climbing the slope of an extinct volcano. Arthurs Seat is described by Robert Louis Stevenson as ‘ a mountain in virtue of its bold design’ ,and even though the climb doesnt bring you to the top of the world, the view of Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth and the distant mountains of the Highlands is so amazing, you're allowed to indulge yourself with a few selfies. Most climbers do!

We're standing at the Hadrian wall, looking north. The hills and moors of Northern England seem to stretch forever into, what looks like wildling country. My friend Ole and I have for the past few days been walking along the ancient fortifications, which were erected almost 1900 years ago on the order of  Roman Emperor Hadrian. The walls were meant to protect the Roman empire from the Northern Barbarians and they stretched from sea to sea, crossing valleys and mountain tops During the following centuries the fortifications were used as  convenient quarries and although many of the original 24 million stones were used to build  castles and farm buildings all over Northumberland, significant portions of the wall still stand and they can be followed along the adjoining Hadrian's wall path The path is almost empty for wanderers, as the weather the last few days has been quite miserable. Strong winds and violent rain showers have been w...

  Michael and I have now spent a few weeks in our village in the Ardeche. Just relaxing, reading and, for my part, getting a bit more fit after my knee operation, by taking longer and longer walks in the surrounding mountains Not much happens as the village is coming out of its winter hibernation. An old man is seen scuttling down the alley. Bon jour You throw another “ bon jour” at the woman passing by as you start the first of your daily walks uphill towards Saint Roche - the chapel that was built to express the villagers' gratitude for having survived the plague many years ago. At the  walk today  I had violets to look at and each day I find a new flower blossoming  - like yesterday an abundance of  yellow anemones. The ditch is still full of chestnuts from last fall and from the torn up mud, you can see  that  wild boars must still be coming down to eat whatever is  left. These micro expe...